Through the Windows
by hardfootrk
Summary: A 12 year old girl, Audra, sees the Spirit world out her window. The thing is, she's the only one. One day she ventures through the fields, repeating history from 10 years ago, with a slight change.
1. Intro

Disclaimer: I own…hey, looky there, I own everybody!

A/n: This is just kinda an intro. Not that good, but just a kick-off.

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Big, blue eyes gazed out through a gap in the blinds at the rolling ocean before them.

"Audra, honey, open the blinds all the way if you want to look out."

The gap snapped shut, and a slender girl stepped back, shaking her head.

"No, it's okay…I was just…"

"Being a dork?" A boy smiled wryly at the girl from a table.

"Be quiet, Dallas. It is a beautiful night." A woman brushed past the girl, and took hold of a string, pulling it to the right. The blinds rolled up slowly, revealing a large body of water, lined with colorful lights. A ferry glided softly across the water. Or maybe it was just swaying grasses basking in the moonlight.

"Isn't it beautiful, Audra? Nothing but fields." The woman, Naomi, brushed a strand of auburn hair behind her ear.

_You just don't see it, the Audra thought, almost angry. I'm the only one in the family who ever has. Ever. It's not grass. It's an ocean. It's a city. _She curled a golden lock around her finger, and turned away.

"Do you see ghosts or something?" Dallas asked, ruffling his shaggy hair.

"Shut up, Dal." Audra narrowed her eyes at him. She was actually glad to have them off the window.

Naomi walked away from the window to Audra, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "Ignore him, sweetie."

Dallas mimicked his mother's words silently as he stuffed a cookie into his mouth, crumbs rolling down his chin.

Audra pulled away from Naomi, and opened the fridge, taking out a bottle of soda. She took a seat next to her brother, and chugged down the liquid.

"So, Audra, how's your social life?"

"Mo-om!"

"Dallas, stop teasing your sister." Their mother wiped down the counter, a grim look on her face.

_So what if I'm shy? At least you guys don't have a curse or something. _Audra pulled on a lock, and her eyebrows knitted together.

Since the first time her father held her in front of that window at night, she had always seen all those bright lights reflecting on the ocean.

When she was a toddler she would stand on a chair and look out every night, pointing to the ferry, then a building, talking with perfectly understandable grammar, but all of it being nonsense.

And when she went to elementary school, she would invite friends over to spend the night. She would always point out the window, and by now, hoping they would stare in awe at the lights, but instead they would ask if they could go play in the fields the next morning. Being young, Audra would argue, and insist that it was a ocean and a city by night.

Soon, she was considered insane to her classmates, and even her brother. She worried the whole family, actually.

Audra stared absent-mindedly at her brother, lost in these thoughts.

"Hello, dork being dorkish alert…" Dallas waved his hands in front of his sister's face.

"Stop!" Audra swatted his hands away.

"Ah, ah! No twelve year olds shall hit 14 year olds in this household, young lady!" Dallas took hold of Audra's wrist.

"Buzz off." Audra yanked out of his grip, giving him a raspberry.

The click of a lock was heard, and a two men's booming laughs echoed into the kitchen.

All three of them sighed heavily.

"Well, I'm gone." Dallas left down the hall, taking the plate of cookies with him.

_Business partner number 6 this month. How many can one dad have. _Audra groaned, quickly turning it into a cough as the two men walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, sweetie!" The taller one with the same eyes as Audra went over to her, and kissed her head.

"Hey, Dad." Audra slid down in her chair.

"West, this is my daughter, Audra, and my wife, Naomi."

The other man took hold of Naomi's hand and shook it quite wildly.

"Nice to meet yah. Weston Weeks, please, call me West."

"Nice to meet you…uh, West." Naomi took her hand away, smiling nervously.

Audra rolled her eyes, and got up, heading for her room. She couldn't help standing and taking a look out the window.

"Nice country you got out there, eh?" West nodded toward the window.

"AUUGH!" Audra flounced and stormed up the stairs to her room. She was extremely embarrassed, feeling the color rush up her neck. Hopefully her dad would find another business partner by tomorrow night. She wouldn't be surprised if he did.

She just was tired of hearing about those fields at night. She knew what they looked like by day…it wasn't that she wanted to see the fields, she just wanted to know about that city. Why she saw it.

If she was cursed in any way. If she was really insane.

She fell onto her bed, and closed her eyes. She just wanted to fall asleep, and see daylight again. Through that window. All the windows that faced outside over the cliff. Including hers, which always had blinds.

_I need an answer, _she thought, _any type of answer to this._

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	2. Taking Steps

Disclaimer: I do believe I still own…everyone! MWAHAHAHAHA!

A/n: Thank you reviewer! Sure, see, this is the update!

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Audra typed speedily on her laptop, talking to her only friend.

Maigo-auddie: I can't believe I did that.

Kachikidude: The guy was probably more crazy than you.

Maigo-auddie: Excuse me?

Kachikidude: No, like, I don't think you're crazy, I was just…

Maigo-auddie: Shutting up?

Kachikidude: Yup

Maigo-auddie: I just wanna find out what's down there.

_Kachikidude: What yah gonna do? Go skipping down the road to _some abandoned carnival?

Maigo-auddie: I know the path that leads to it. It's on the way to school.

Kachikidude: C'mon. Don't go down it.

Maigo-auddie: Whoa, Mr. Protective now, are we?

Kachikidude: NO! It would just be stupid. And look stupid.

Maigo-auddie: Kachi, you know I need to found out if that…_place _ is really there. I don't wanna have this on my shoulders for the rest of my life. Don't you believe that I really see this?

Kachikidude: Auddie, never think I don't believe you.

Kachikidude: Don't think I don't believe in that place.

Maigo-auddie: Sorry. But you live miles from here. You can't come grab me before I go on that path.

Kachikidude: Are you really doing it?

Maigo-auddie: Duh. Gtg, school.

_Kachikidude: Bye…I'll see yah later._

_Yeah, right. _Audra thought, shutting her laptop. She grabbed her backpack, and slung it over her shoulder.

Yes, she was going to walk down that dirt path after school. She didn't care how long it took, she would stay and find out what was there.

She bounced down the stairs, and ran down the hall, hitting Dallas in the back of the head on the way.

"Hey, household rules!" he called out as she slipped out the door.

Audra sighed, and hoped that maybe her life would change today.

The last bell rang and a mob of students came through the doors of the school.

Audra lagged behind a bit, being apprehensive about what she was going to do.

She looked completely fine, and maybe even one of the prettier students in the school, but people still snickered and veered around her.

Audra stood by the edge of the road, and waited for a red light. When it finally came, she darted across, and stood.

The path was right in front of her. She could see the little stone shrines bunched under a tree.

She took a step back. Maybe she shouldn't go.

A wind came and pushed her back.

"No…" she whispered, as if to the wind, "I'm going."

She took a step. Then another. Soon she was walking at a normal pace, into a canopy of trees. After some minutes, she realized this was going nowhere.

"Okay, I better come to something good…" she mumbled, looking up at the sky.

Suddenly, she fell forward, stumbling over a root. She let out a squeal, and ended up looking at dirt.

_I'll just melt into the ground. That would be good, _she thought. But to her…worry and satisfaction, when she lifted herself, she was face to face with a rotund stone man.

"What…in…the…heck…" Audra stood up, and staggered backwards. "Okay, don't pay attention to the little dude staring at you Audra, just-" She looked up in awe at what was before her.

A tall building engulfed in vines and moss loomed over her. She took a cautious step forward, and saw the red tinting behind all the brush.

There was a dark tunnel facing directly to where the squat stone man was. It was sinister looking, and no light was visible at the end.

"I cannot go in there…" Audra stared into it, knowing it was the only way in. The pathway to her answer.

She then felt like another person. Small, stubborn, and afraid. Like it wasn't Audra standing there anymore…she was another spirit. Something from years ago.

Then a howling wind came by again, this time pulling her in. A shiver went down her spine.

And she took the first step leading to her answer.

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A/n: Maigo and Kachiki actually do have meanings I intended to use, but I'm not saying them yet…


	3. History Repeating

Disclaimer: I own Audra, and the boy. ;) Everyone else is owned by Spirited Away people.

A/n: Replying to reviews.

**Flamegoddessthe9th- **I hope it's as promising to me as it is to you.

**Crazianimegirl-**Oh, no, I went on google to find those words.J 10 years or so.

**Tippy-chan- **No, she's not related to Chihiro or anything, you'll find out. And I'm glad someone noticed that stuff when she saw the tunnel.

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Audra's breathing was heavy as she felt her way down the tunnel. She flinched at first, feeling the dust and cobwebs on the side. But now she was determined, seeing a spot of light down the tunnel.

Her pace quickened. She could see the end now.

The suspense built up, and she went in a run out of the gloom, and barged into the light.

"Oh…" Her surroundings were not what she expected. Stained glass windows cast rainbows on the ground. Stone benches lined the sides of the room. A small fountain stood small and dirty, but gloriously. It was like some kind of small sanctuary.

Despite all this, Audra was pulled outside.

She was maddened. Fields. Of course she knew, it was daytime. But just to be so close, and know that whatever was there, wasn't really true to her.

She walked across the lush grass. More odd, small statues jutted out of the earth. A breeze blew over, and the grasses rippled. Like an ocean. Audra wasn't walking on grass. She was walking on water.

"Ah, the house." she looked up and spotted the form of the blue house sitting promptly on the cliff, the last in the row of the houses.

Ahead she saw buildings, dirty and peeling. Although, a wonderful smell swam across the air. Audra walked forward, wanting to know how such a wondrous smell could be coming from such a cruddy place.

"Some kind of theme park…" she mumbled, catching herself. How would she know? It just came to her that this was a theme park.

It slipped from her mind when she saw the strip of jumbled rocks ahead. She came closer, and noticed a small stream of water trickling through.

The only way across. She leapt from rock to rock, her long legs easily maneuvering. She landed on the other side, facing an open-mouthed frog.

"That's quite interesting…" Audra ran a hand over it, and walked forward.

Ah, the food. More of a buffet actually. Audra ducked in the stand, glancing around for any type of staff.

"No one here…hmm." She placed her fingers a small roasted bird. "And the food looks absolutely delicious, you're smart and cunning."

Then the same feeling wrapped around her. No, she shouldn't take the food. It wasn't polite. It was dangerous even.

She backed away, afraid of what had just overcome her.

Soon, Audra came to a red bridge, leading to a giant-

"Bath house?" Audra stared up at the mammoth building before her. It seemed to be in business, there was smoke emitting from it. She came to the middle of the bridge, and looked down. A train came rumbling under her feet from a tunnel.

"Oh, the train!" shot from Audra's mouth. She quickly set her hand over it, shocked.

_Why did I just say that?_

She lifted her head, brushing flaxen curls out of her face.

Hazel eyes pierced her own.

"Wha?" Audra staggered back, alarmed.

A boy, she was guessing around her age, stood before her, a severe look in his eyes. Disheveled, chocolate hair sat on his head, and he wore something that looked like he had just done karate.

"Uh…I…" Audra stuttered.

"Go, you can't be here."

"What? Why?"

"It's almost dark-" the boy took hold of her shoulder "-they can't know you're here." He pushed her around, and gave her shove.

"Run! Before the river overflows!" he ordered.

Audra started to run, scared to death, then stopped.

"How much does it overflow exactly?" she called back.

"GO!" the boy yelled.

Audra ran again, and saw some of the lanterns light up.

"Freaky…"

She gazed at them, slowing to a jog. Suddenly, a dark, ghastly figure rose up in front of her.

"REALLY FREAKY!"

Audra sprinted forward, trying to dodge every figure that was popping up. She was close to tears, and her legs felt that they would give out any moment.

"Forget it, Audra, you're going absolutely-" she ran down past the frog, and leapt for a rock, "-insane!"

She screamed, finding herself plunging into a dark body of water.

Water flew everywhere from her constant flailing. She finally erected herself out, and back onto dry stone.

Water was pouring out of the frogs mouth.

"That explains the ocean…"

Trembling, Audra stood, and looked out at what was before her.

The water. The lights. The ferry.

"I'm not crazy." Audra felt her cheek, then slapped it. "Just wonked out! Wake up! Wake up!"

Through her small tantrum, the ferry came closer to shore, and finally collided up against it, a wooden walk way falling down.

"-up!" Audra couldn't help but stare at what came next.

Oddly faced cards came floating out of opened doors, some of them growing robe-like bottoms. Little duck-like creatures waddled down from the top.

Which she noticed were extremely cute.

Her trance gave way, and she finally ran behind a stone wall, shaking. She could feel her heart beating, and her head throbbed.

"Oh, why can't I just disintegrate into the air, and float away back home?" Audra threw her hands up, and added to the misery.

They were transparent.

"This isn't earthly!" Audra exclaimed, burying her face into her knees. She started to sob. This whole thing was just getting worse.

She then heard the grass crunch, and foot nudged her.

"Excuse me…"

Audra brought her head up slowly, not surprised to see the boy. His hand was clutched around something.

"What?"  
"Eat this." He dropped a small, red berry-like object into her hand.

"How do I know it's not poison or something? And why do I feel like it should be shoved into my mouth?" Audra really didn't intend to say or think the last part.

"Sorry if you expect me to, but it's not happening."

"I don't." Audra shoved it into her mouth, glaring at the boy, then scoffed.

"It is poisoned!" she wailed.

"No, it just tastes like sewage. But your transparent problem is solved."

True, she could no longer see through her arm.

"Okay, Audra, follow me." The boy caught himself, wide-eyed.

"How did you know my name?" Audra inquired.

"Maybe Ubaba wasn't crazy when she said something about history repeating…" the boy mumbled.

"Ubaba?" Audra stood up, a bit more confident.

"It's the owner's name. Don't make fun of it, or you'll be turned into coal." The boy took Audra's hand softly, and pulled her along.

Audra eyed her hand warily, wanting to let go, but still held on.

She just wanted to fall down and sleep, curled into a little ball on the grass.

But she felt like there was something about this boy, that she knew, but wouldn't believe.

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A/n: I dont like this chapter...bleh. OH well.


	4. Directions

Disclaimer: I only own Audra and Bade…woot.

A/n: Replying to reviews:

**Tippy-chan-** Well, seeing the face Chihiro made in the movie gives that obvious idea. Well, my chapters normally start out short, then they lengthen…I just won't make as many cliffhangers. It will take longer now, mind you. Oh, just wait, you'll find out soon. ;)

**ZimXGir- **Heh, me too. XD

**Flamegoddesthe9th**- And this chapter totally goes against your review! I doubt the others will be as long as this one though.

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The boy dragged Audra along, quickening with each step toward the bath house.

Question loomed in any air around Audra. She already had ten questions that she planned to get answered, not matter how long she would be in this…place.

"Sorry to interrupt the moment, but-" The two made a sharp turn "-I was never told your name-" They were now in a jog "-and I do think you should at least tell me."

The boy brought them to an unexpected stop. They were again by the bridge. Now the bridge looked absolutely mesmerizing. Creatures of all kind floated, shuffled, and meandered across in a large mass.

"We have to cross." said the boy, totally ignoring the question.

"What? No way. I'm not crossing until I know what I'm crossing with." Audra released her loose grip on his hand, and backed away.

"They're…they're, well, spirits." The boy grabbed her elbow. "And if you wanna get out of here, you're gonna have to walk next to a spirit."

"Those can't be spirits! Spirits float around and make moaning noises!" Audra yanked her arm away, and stared fearfully at the bridge.

"Believe me." The boy held out his hand to Audra. His eyes had the most promising spark.

"Oh…okay." Audra again took his hand, but gripped it a bit tighter, feeling that he was more trustworthy. "But, you could at least give me your name!" she added on sharply.

"Call me Bade." he said.

"Bade…" Audra let it roll off her tongue, "Wait, I think-"

"Let's go." Audra was cut-off, and soon walked side-by-side with Bade. "Okay, you have to hold your breath when we cross the bridge. The tiniest breath will make you visible to the rest of the Spirits."

"And I only have to do this across the bridge?"

"Yes."

"That makes no sense."

"Just listen." Bade came onto the cement walk way, and headed for the bridge.

"Okay, when I say three, take deep breath, and hold it."

Audra nodded, and tightened her grip on Bade's hand.

"One…two…three."

Audra took a great inhale. She held it, feeling her lungs crunch as time passed.

_Why are we walking? _It seemed much more reasonable to run and get across soon.

"Hold it, only a few more inches…" Bade reassured Audra, whom was turning pink. Just 3 steps before they came off the bridge, a little frog came hopping in front of Bade. It looked aged, and wrinkled.

Audra's last seconds were wasted. She took a gasp for air.

"Master-WHA?"

"RUN!" Bade took a long step forward, shoving the frog to the side.

"SORRY!" Audra stumbled along after the sprinting Bade. He tripped over his own feet, and fell forward into a patch of grass.

"Oww…"

"You don't have very good balance, you know." Audra said, flat on the ground.

"I'm aware of my flaws, thank you very much." Bade pushed himself up with his arms, then brought Audra up, quickly thrusting her behind a bush.

"A HUMAN?" was heard from the building, along with more commotion.

"They know you're here. Curse that frog…" Bade glared toward the bridge.

"Sorry, I didn't hold my breath."

"No, it's okay. I don't think it would've mattered anyway…"

"What?"

"Ignore me. If you want to survive, you have to get a job, and ignore me."

"A job?"

"You have to work to live here. It's the only way."

"But-"

"No more arguing. Let me give you directions."

_Well, he's nice. _Audra folded her arms, and rolled her eyes.

"Memorize what I say. You have to go right from here, be careful. You'll find stairs lined up on the wall of the bathhouse. Go down those, and you'll find the boiler room through a door. You will also find Kamaji. Ask him for job."

"Kamaji?"

"Listen. He'll trick you into leaving. Don't fall for it. I have to go."

Bade came out from behind the bush, toward the door of the building.

"Master-"

"I'm coming!"

Audra sat there for bit, running all that Bade had just told her through her head. She really would rather not move, but knew if she wanted to make it through, she would have to.

She squirmed out from behind the brush on her stomach, making sure she was well past the windows of the bathhouse.

She went into a crawl on all fours, and came around a corner.

"Oh, great." The stairs stood before her, a true nightmare. They seemed just like one, a thin cord leading down to a possible fate, nothing but a wall, and water.

Audra scooted over, putting a bit of weight on the first step. It gave a threatening groan.

"Oooh…" Audra knew that if she put all her weight on each step, one would eventually give way. Only one way to do it.

She stood up, and took an extensive leap, skipping a great number of steps at a time. She was shaking terribly, and lost her balance once, having to regain herself with the wall.

Finally, she came to the last few steps, skipping over them also, and landing on hard ground.

"Thank God…" Audra gave a sigh of relief, her palms sweaty, and still shaking.

The nightmare wasn't over. Like Bade had said, there was a door. It was large, and metal. Audra could see her terrified reflection. Her curls were frizzed, and her cobalt eyes were blood-shot already.

Not wanting to look at herself any longer, she opened the door, staring into a long, dark hallway, filled with steaming devices.

"Great, another tunnel." Audra mumbled to herself, taking a step in. Being more confident, she went smoothly, and strolled right into the room. Soon regretting it.

An old man with a gray mustache that resembled one of a walrus', spun a wheel, mixing some kind of herbal looking combination in a bowl.

The thing that scared Audra half to death was his arms. She couldn't even count them. A new one seemed to add every time he reached for something.

Then she noticed the floor. Little tufts of black with slender legs carried coal to a furnace of some sort.

Audra gave a small squeal of uncertainty.

"Huh?" The man turned his gaze to her.

Audra jumped back. "Uh, I…I-" Audra stuttered, and gathered up all her courage, "-I need a job! And I'm not leaving until you give me one! Don't even expect me to take a step near that door!"

"Sure, you can start tomorrow." The old man, which Audra had guessed was Kamaji, extended his arm, and opened a drawer.

"You're not gonna trick me? You're not gonna refuse?"

"No, no…" Kamaji chuckled, "There is a prophecy to be fulfilled."

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A/n: Uh…about lessening cliffhangers…I'll just lengthen the chapter XD


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